When a person suffers a head or spinal injury, their head and neck may be immobilized to reduce the risk of further injury during transport and treatment. For example, neck braces, backboards, and crown-encircling stabilizers (also known in the art as “halo” devices) may be used to support a person's head and neck to reduce the risk of further injury.
People who experience traumatic injuries in most cases must, of necessity, endure potentially damaging acceleration, impact and vibrational forces experienced during handling and movement by, for example, search and rescue and emergency medical personnel during transport from an injury site to medical facilities with treatment capabilities. This transport may involve both ground transport and flight on rotary and/or fixed-wing aircraft, all of which may expose the injured person to additional, potentially injurious forces, which may exacerbate the severity of the initial injuries. Proper immobilization and shock load isolation may substantially reduce the mortality and comorbidities associated with these injuries while in transit. Equipment currently used for people with a spinal cord injury (SCI) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) may provide some level of immobilization, but leave substantial room for improvement and flexibility to address specific applications.